On Monday, 5 December 2011, we celebrate International Volunteer Day.

To mark this day, Australian High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, Matt Anderson will be hosting a lunch for Australian volunteers working in Solomon Islands, along with their Solomon Island counterparts, to thank and acknowledge the contribution they make.

There are around 45 Australian volunteers currently working in Solomon Islands under the AusAID-funded Australian Volunteers for International Development.

In the true spirit of volunteering, many of the Australian volunteers will also donate blood to the Solomon Islands Red Cross on International Volunteer Day. This will begin at 11am.

There will be a group photo opportunity of all the volunteers and local partners at 12pm followed by lunch and speeches. The activities will be held at the Heritage Park Hotel in Honiara.

Several volunteers will also speak about their volunteer experiences.